Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 1 July, 2007
"Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth:
unite my heart to fear thy name" (Psalm 86:11)
Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Baptism
Declaring Jehovah’s Praises to Our Children
Psalm 78:4
I. The Message
II. The Transmission
III. The Purpose
Psalms: 147:12-20; 90:8-12; 102:13-18; 78:1-6Evening Service - 6:00 PM
The Holy Trinity
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 8; Matthew 28:19
I. The Meaning
II. The Revelation
III. The Necessity
Psalms: 68:1-6; 90:13-17; 143:5-11; 115:1-11
For audio cassettes of the worship services or CDs of the sermons, contact Sean Courtney (cprcaudiostore@yahoo.co.uk)
CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk
Quotes to Consider:
Martin Luther: "He has not given you children and the means to support them, only that you may do with them as you please; or train them for worldly glory. You have been earnestly commanded to raise them for God’s service, or be completely rooted out, with your children and everything else; then everything that you have spent on them will be lost."
Herman Hoeksema: "The passing generation knew the Lord and His work for Israel ... But the next generation knew not the Lord, neither the works He had done for Israel ... The conclusion from all this is plain: grow lax in instruction—in home or school or church—and the next generation will not know Jehovah and will not know His great works for His people."
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
This morning we witness the sacrament of baptism administered to Bradley Herman DeVries Buchanan. May the Lord bless him as well as his parents as they seek to raise him in the fear of the Lord.
We welcome all visitors to our services today. The June and July issues of the Covenant Reformed News are available on the back table as are the Reformed Perspectives.
This morning, the second offering will be for the Building Fund.
The Council will have their monthly meeting tomorrow at 7:30 PM at the manse.
Membership Class: Wednesday, 7:50 PM at the Hallidays.
Last Week’s Offerings: General Fund - £669.35. Donation: £12 (Building Fund).
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day, 8 July (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW), is entitled "True Followers of Christ" (Mark 8:34).
Advanced Notices: Thurs., 12 July, CPRC Stall in Ballee Playing Fields Wed., 25 July, CPRC Stall at Clogher Valley Show Sat., 28 July, CPRC Stall at Antrim Agricultural Show Fri, 14 Sept., Lecture in S. Wales on "The Perseverance of the Saints" Fri., 2 Nov, Reformation Day Lecture in Ballymena Protestant Hall
Francesco De Lucia, our Italian translator from near Naples, plans to visit us from 13-31 August.
Translations added this week to our website: 1 Ukrainian ("Tulip" pamphlet by Prof. Gritters), 2 Portuguese, 2 Tagalog (links to the Canons of Dordt and Herman Hoeksema’s catechism book, "Essentials of Reformed Doctrine") and 11 German. Martyn McGeown’s article on "The Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Sodomy" is on-line at http://www.cprf.co.uk/articles/pciandsodomy.htm
PRC News: Edgerton PRC will call a missionary to Heritage PRF in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from a trio of Rev. Key, Rev. R. Kleyn, and Candidate Spronk.
This is part 2 of the 13th e-mail from Prof. Engelsma regarding justification.
The Belgic Confession picks up this biblical point and demolishes the clever error that likes to make faith a human work earning righteousness in Article 22: "We justly say with Paul, that we are justified by faith alone, or by faith without works. However, to speak more clearly, we do not mean that faith itself justifies us, for it is only an instrument with which we embrace Christ our righteousness. But Jesus Christ, imputing to us all His merits and so many holy works which He has done for us and in our stead, is our righteousness. And faith is an instrument that keeps us in communion with Him in all His benefits, which, when become ours, are more than sufficient to acquit us of our sins."
It is also gross error concerning the fundamental gospel-truth of justification by faith to teach that faith is really covenant faithfulness, including obedience as well as trusting in Christ, so that justification by faith means that, especially in the covenant, one is justified by his own faithfulness to God. This is the teaching today of the New Perspective on Paul and of the Federal Vision. Faith is identified with faithfulness, which, of course, includes the works of the one who is justified.
Against this error, as against the error that justification is by works, or because of works, in every form, stands the clear, sharp doctrine of the apostle in Romans 4:1ff. The faith by which one is justified does not work for righteousness. It "worketh not" (v. 5). Faith rejects all human works for righteousness. Faith rejects even the good works that the believer does by the Holy Spirit within him as any part of the righteousness of the believer. Faith rejects the repentance over sin that is certainly an aspect of faith as any part of the believer’s righteousness. Faith rejects itself, regarded as a human work, as the believer’s righteousness with God. This is what faith is: the renunciation of all and every human work, effort, act, activity, achievement, and accomplishment, including its own renunciation of all human effort and work, as the righteousness of the sinner with God. Faith regards, and trusts in, the work, effort, act, activity, achievement, and accomplishment of Jesus Christ in the stead of and on behalf of the sinner as righteousness. The righteousness that faith trusts in, and receives by imputation, is an obedience and work and faithfulness altogether outside the sinner. For faith, Christ is its righteousness, only Christ.
More must be said, and I hope to say it in subsequent communications: that the Bible also teaches justification "out of" faith; that the Bible teaches that God counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness; that faith itself is a gift of grace; of course, that the Bible teaches that justification is by faith only, and more.
But the glorious note of gracious justification of the ungodly sinner already is sounded, so that every guilt-stricken sinner may seek righteousness where alone it is to be found in the only way in which righteousness can be sought and found: in Jesus Christ, in whom God has worked out His righteousness for His elect people, by faith in Him.
Let us seek and find our righteousness by faith.
Let the true church proclaim justification by faith, the heart of the gospel of grace.
And let us defend this truth against the lie of justification by works, whether taught by the apostate churches or by "false brothers."
Cordially in Christ,
Prof. Engelsma